1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a microwave power combiner using magnetron type construction. The microwave power combiner uses individual power sources which can be changed individually without causing problems of impedance mismatch and efficiency of power transmission.
2. DESCRIPTION OF THE RELATED ART
The cost of microwave power sources producing large amounts of microwave power becomes very expensive as the microwave power level increases. To help produce microwave energy economically microwave power combiners are used to combine the microwave power output of a number of smaller power sources. In "Millimeter-Wave Power-Combining Techniques," by Chang and Sun, IEEE Transactions on Microwave Theory and Techniques, vol. MTT-31, February 1983, pages 91-107, a resonant cavity is discussed which uses a modified waveguide to combine the power of 12 diodes. Microwave power combiners are described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,175,257 to Smith et al, in U.S. Pat. No. 4,453,139 to Labaar, in U.S. Pat. No. 4,684,874 to Swift et al, and in U.S. Pat. No. 5,001,443 to Martin, III.
This invention provides a power combiner which combines a number of microwave power sources with good efficiency of power transfer. The individual microwave power sources can be replaced easily without causing impedance mismatch and loss of efficiency of power transfer. There is flexibility in the number of individual microwave power sources used.